Neither Rain nor Snow Slows These Shoppers

A fast-moving storm blew through Ventura County on Saturday, slowing traffic, depositing as much as a foot of snow in the mountains and dousing holiday shoppers.

But the season’s heaviest rain so far--some parts of the county reported three-quarters of an inch--was not enough to dampen the gift-buying mania that traditionally starts the day after Thanksgiving.

In fact, several merchants and experienced shoppers said Saturday’s rain actually encouraged holiday shopping.

“They need to get out of the house,” said Beverly Fields, an employee at Le Gourmet Chef housewares store at Camarillo Premium Outlets. “They don’t like to be locked up.” Fields and others said that Saturday was even busier than Friday, which was the holiday season’s official kickoff.

For bargain hunters at the outlet mall, the toughest find was a parking space. With headlights on and windshield wipers swishing, arriving cars slowly stalked departing customers Saturday afternoon.

Ventura County Sheriff’s Sgt. Roger DeWames, who was patrolling the Camarillo outlets’ parking lots on horseback, said he had the option to work elsewhere Saturday, but he knew shoppers would be out in force despite the weather.

“I’ve got three sisters, and I don’t think rain ever slows them down,” DeWames said.

Money was also being spent Saturday at local movie theaters. The four days that make up Thanksgiving weekend are traditionally among Hollywood’s biggest. Throw in rain, and tickets sell even faster.

“We’re doing a little bit better than what we had hoped, and I think the weather is a part of that,” said Ryan Weinstock, manager of the Century 10 theater in downtown Ventura.

And the wet roads only worsened Southern California’s usual traffic problems. California Highway Patrol officers and police around the county handled at least half a dozen accidents, some involving injuries.

Rain in Ojai measured nearly three-quarters of an inch, and more than half an inch fell on Simi Valley. Other totals included: 0.47 of an inch at Matilija Dam; 0.43 of an inch at the Ventura County Government Center; 0.16 in Oxnard and Thousand Oaks; and 0.35 of an inch in Santa Paula.

In the San Fernando Valley, wet roads contributed to several accidents, including a Golden State Freeway crash that killed a Burbank woman, and a two-car accident in Santa Clarita that killed an unidentified man, authorities said.

Rain was not the only precipitation that fell Saturday. The mountains of northeastern Ventura County got 6 to 12 inches of snow above 5,500 feet, according to Lloyd Wiens, a ski center operator in Frazier Park. Snow also fell in Angeles National Forest.

A few cross-country skiers and snowshoers took advantage of the snowfall, but Wiens reported a generally slow day, perhaps because people were scared away by the threat of bad roads.

“They’re fair-weather skiers in this part of the state, frankly,” Wiens said of Frazier Ski and Pack. He was looking forward to a busier day today.

A layer of upper-level low pressure from the Gulf of Alaska caused Saturday’s storm, which brought temperatures from the low 40s to the low 60s.

“This was a relatively fast-moving cold front,” said Bill Hoffer of the National Weather Service in Oxnard. “It cranked through pretty good.”

Cloudy and slightly warmer weather--but no rain--is expected today, with highs in the mid-60s. Only traces of snow are expected at the county’s higher elevations.

Monday will also be cloudy, with a 20% to 30% chance of rain in late afternoon. And with another storm system moving in through Northern California, some rain may fall in the south on Tuesday.